Mommy & Media

July 24th, 2013

Which Media Outlets Are Better For Reaching On-the-go Moms?

Most of us have heard that moms make the majority of the purchasing decisions of the household (a projected $2.4 trillion worth of decisions to be exact). This makes moms a very lucrative audience for marketers. But how does a brand or business help influence these moms’ purchasing decisions? One way is to ensure your brand’s visibility is in the right place at the right time. But where should a marketer be seen and heard? Where do moms spend their media time and what media forms are the most influential? Of course the answers vary from brand to brand, as well as each marketer’s main objective, but there are some key takeaways that businesses should remember when trying to reach moms in today’s digital world.

First, a marketer must understand that becoming a mom changes the way women consume media. Becoming a mom shifts a woman’s time spent with each media outlet, as well as which outlets she considers the most informational and influential. But there are four places you are sure to find her when she does have the time for media.

Online
Moms spend 63 percent more time online than the general population, according to Nielsen. This is via laptop, tablet or smartphone. Moms spend the majority of their time on search engines and general websites, researching information on everything from parenting and travel to fashion, health and fitness. Because moms are so time starved, be sure to be digitally prominent and easy to find online. Do so by leveraging search engine marketing and search engine optimization.

Smart Phones
Nielsen reported that a whopping 61 percent of moms use their mobile devices to access the internet, so be sure your company’s website and brand interaction are optimized for mobile.

Social Media
According to Nielsen, nearly 80 percent of moms actively use social media – the main reason being that it allows them to easily stay in touch with their friends and family. Another reason is the ability to share and discover. Compared to the general population, moms are 40 percent more likely to become a fan or follow a brand online, and 59 percent of moms said they have purchased something because a brand posted a coupon or other offer on a social networking site. Social media helps her get information quickly and offers an easy outlet to share and recommend brands they follow or have discovered.

Blogs
Another digital space a mom spends a chunk of her time is reading blogs. According to BlogHer, in 2014, 63 percent (nearly 21 million) of all online moms will read blogs. Moms tend to look for life’s unanswered questions and advice online. According to eMarkerter, 72 percent of mothers ages 28 to 45 said they trusted the information and advice they read from blogs. So, if your brand wants to make an impact with moms, make sure blogs are in your media plans.

So What Does This All Mean?
Moms are media consumers who are time-starved digital multitaskers and who are ready to discover, listen to recommendations and make purchases. So make sure your brand has a visible voice online, on mobile, in social networks and in blogs so you can be part of the $2.4 tillion pie.